Genesis 1-2:4a

 

Because it is in the beginning of the bible,

and also, because it talks about "the beginning,"

the book of Genesis is often assumed to be the oldest.

 

WRONG!

 

Genesis is not the oldest book in the bible-that distinction goes to the book of Job.

Go ahead, impress all your friends with that fun bible fact at the next barbecue. No need to thank me!

 

The bible is not actually a book. It is a library of books. And these books are not arranged chronologically. They are not a series of eyewitness accounts. The whole process of the writing and gathering and ordering was a lot more complicated than that.

 

And if you'd like to know more, invite me over to your next barbecue and I will regale the crowd with captivating tales of the process we scripture nerds like to call "canonization." Who knew history or pastors could be so fun!?

 

But seriously-

understanding when Genesis was written is essential to hearing its message.

 

Rather than being jotted down shortly after writing was created, Genesis was likely written while the people of Israel were in exile in Babylon, roughly 592-539 BCE. The period of their captivity lasted around 50 years. This was an incredibly long time to be so far from their holy places, their holy land. Generations were dying in Babylon, new generations being born. It seemed that they may never get back to the land of God's promise. The people were in danger of giving up. The people were threatened by despair. The people were at risk of forgetting who they were.

 

And so, rather than to detail "the how" of creation, Genesis was written to remind the people "the who" of creation. This passage was written to make sure they knew who the creator was, and who they were as creations.

 

And until that day of homecoming, no matter how long it took, or what challenges they faced, they could turn to these words from Genesis and remember:

 

Do not doubt God's power to act, God spoke this entire world into existence.

Do not doubt God's concern for the world, everything God created was called "good."

Do not doubt God's love for you, you were created in God's image.

 

And throughout time, the Israelites have not been the only ones who needed help remembering who God is, and thereby, who they are.

 

 

June 11: Jennifer McCrickerd, Professor of Philosophy at Drake University and member of Faith continues the conversation on the book "Dear White Christians: for those still longing for racial reconciliation" by fellow Drake colleague Jennifer Harvey. If you have not already picked up a copy of the book please do so, as reading the book prior to the discussion is helpful. If you would like the study questions, please email Jennifer at [email protected]. Adult Sunday School meets in Messiah Hall rooms 203 and 204 from 9:30 - 10:15 a.m.

 

 

This week, Sunday, June 11, through Saturday, June  17, Faith is hosting homeless families in the Gathering House. Thank you to all who have already signed up to serve as hosts, setup, or provide meals... it is so appreciated! We still have slots to fill in which hosts for an evening dinner (Friday and Saturday) or overnight stay (Wednesday and Saturday) are needed. If you are not: helping with VBS, attending the youth mission trip, traveling, or otherwise occupied this week... can you help us with one of these evenings? 

Due to VBS setup, you can find the signup sheet in the church office this weekend, or please contact Bob at 223-1773, [email protected]; or Lynnette at 223-8204, [email protected]. Thank you!  

 

 
Join us this Thursday evening, June 15th, for the closing of Vacation Bible School at 7:30 p.m. We will present our guests from LSI Global Greens with our noisy offering donation. LSI will setup a mini farmers market in our courtyard. All are welcome to shop for fresh produce and share in the excitement of VBS! 

 

 

 

From June 10-18, a group of 36 youth and adults from Faith are heading to Las Vegas and Phoenix for Rooted, a joint mission trip of 26 churches from our own Southeastern Iowa Synod and our partner synod, the Grand Canyon Synod-and we want you to join in our experience! Here's how: We'll be using Twitter and Facebook to post status updates, photos, and videos throughout the week. Friends and family members are encouraged to interact with these posts by leaving an occasional comment. During our group time each evening, we take time to read every reply and comment aloud. This is a fantastic opportunity to help foster a sense of shared ministry by offering your encouragement, feedback, and prayer as you follow our journey from a distance. We're on Twitter at http://twitter.com/FaithLCYouth (FYI: You don't need a Twitter account to see the updates) and Facebook at http://facebook.com/FaithLCYouth. We hope you'll join us!